Sarah Jessica Parker Breaks Silence With Tribute to Willie Garson

Actor Willie Garson passed away from pancreatic cancer this week at the age of 57. Garson was known for playing Stanford Blatch, the best friend of Carrie Bradshaw, on Sex and the City. Naturally, this led to Garson developing a friendship with Sarah Jessica Parker—one that had lasted decades. After a few days of silence, Parker posted a tribute to Garson on her Instagram, talking about their time together. Read on to hear what Sarah Jessica Parker said about her friendship with Willie Garson’s friendship.

1. They Met Before Sex and the City

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Many assumed that Parker and Garson met on the set of Sex and the City. However, they had actually met prior, and in an unusual way. According to Deadline, Parker and Garson first met on a blind date, and while they were never romantically involved, they retained their friendship.

2. They Had Fun On and Off Set

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Garson told Entertainment Weekly working with Parker was a lot of fun. "If [you use] people who've been friends for 20 years, it really reads on the screen," he explained. "Mostly it was just a lot of laughing. I, inwardly and outwardly, certainly am very different from the character. So it was a lot of us laughing. We could barely make it through scenes." Garson enjoyed working with Parker so much, he reprised his role in the Sex and the City reboot that will air later on HBO Max.

3. They Talked Almost Every Day

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Garson and Parker stayed closely in touch after Sex and the City wrapped. “As you probably know, Sarah Jessica and I were friends for 10 years before the show. And we’re still the closest of friends,” Garson told Us Weekly in June. “We talk almost every day.” In Parker’s Instagram tribute, she described her friendship with Garson as, “A real friendship that allowed for secrets, adventure, a shared professional family, truth, concerts, road trips, meals, late night phone calls, a mutual devotion to parenthood and all the heartaches and joy that accompany, triumphs, disappointments, fear, rage and years spent on sets (most especially Carrie's apartment) and laughing late into the night as both Stanford and Carrie and Willie and SJ.” Parker revealed that she was still in contact with Garson in his final days, and revealed that his last words to her were “Great bangles all around.”

4. What is Pancreatic Cancer?

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“Your pancreas, tucked away behind your stomach, is an inconspicuous organ tirelessly producing essential enzymes and hormones your body needs for digestion, and to regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which cancerous cells form in the tissues of the organ, disrupting its necessary functions,” says ETNT Health.

5. How to Stay Healthy

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Signs of pancreatic cancer can be weight loss or yellow skin. “Any number of health issues can be the cause of your stomach aches or pain. And more likely than not, your upset stomach is due to a more mundane, garden-variety cause. If abdominal pain persists, however, please see your doctor,” says ETNT Health.

In the glitzy world of soap operas, the allure of its stars goes beyond just their acting talents. These leading ladies not only captivate audiences with their on-screen charisma but also inspire with their commitment to health and wellness. From sharing their fitness routines to skincare secrets, and even opening up about personal struggles, these soap opera stars are more than just icons of the small screen. Join us as we delve into the amazing bodies and remarkable stories of 15 female soap opera stars who bring their A-game both on and off the set. From Kelly Monaco's diverse workout regimen to Linsey Godfrey's dedication to personal training, each of these women reveals their unique approach to staying fit, healthy, and confident in the spotlight.

1. Kelly Monaco

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2. Jaqueline M. Wood

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Jaqueline M. Wood starred on The Bold And The Beautiful. She shared some of her wellness secrets with Glamour. “I have an early-morning workout session with my trainer at 9 A.M. We're doing squats and heavy lifting. For heavy lifters or for anyone working out in the morning, you need to eat prior to your workout so your body can focus on growing muscles and not digesting, which kills your energy. I always start with a protein shake: one banana, one cup of raspberries, one tablespoon flaxseed, one tablespoon chia seeds, glutamine (for muscle recovery), and a splash of orange juice.”

3. Michelle Stafford

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4. Rena Sofer

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5. Laura Wright

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6. Rebecca Herbst

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7. Arianne Zucker

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8. Melissa Claire Egan

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In this revealing Instagram post, The Young & The Restless star, Melissa Claire Egan opened up about her miscarriage, and wanting to make others feel not alone. “This picture was taken on January 18, 2018,” she wrote. “My husband took this picture an hour after my D&C surgery, after I had suffered a miscarriage at 8 weeks. I’m very candid about my miscarriage with my friends and family and speak openly about it to anyone that asks if we want kids. It’s never been a secret. And I was so lucky to have my incredible husband and best friends and family in the world there for me, every step of the way. It’s so hard, and takes such a toll on you emotionally and physically, hormonally, all of it. But I hadn’t shared it publicly. Not for any particular reason, I just hadn’t. Then recently a friend that I don’t see often told me that sadly she had suffered one as well. She seemed almost relieved when I told her I had the same experience. She told me she had felt alone and like a failure, and less-than, because she hadn’t heard other people speak about it. This made me SO SAD, and made me want to share my story. With anyone and everyone. Just so no one feels alone. I promise you you’re not alone.”

9. Sharon Case

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Sharon Case is a soap star, known for her roles on General Hospital, As The World Turns, and The Young & The Restless. She shared her skincare secrets with Soap Opera Digest. “I always wash my face and put on my skin care program twice a day, when I wake up and before I go to bed. I first wash my face with whatever because I’m not particular about what I use — sometimes I use a fancy cleanser, other times it’s regular hand soap. What matters is that you have a really great moisturizer and a serum. For the moisturizer, I like either DefenAge or Oil of Olay, which I’ve used for years. I still swear by that product. The serum that goes on after is a clear liquid; you use a few drops to apply to your face with your fingers. I like to use DefenAge serum. A couple of times a week, I’ll put on a product that has retinol in it.”

10. Katherine Kelly Lang

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11. Kate Mansi

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Kate Mansi is known for her roles in Casa Grande and Days Of Our Lives. She tells Muscle and Fitness that she loves doing outdoor workouts. “I’ve climbed Mount Whitney, I love being in nature,” she says. “We were shooting Casa Grande in Petaluma and it was beautiful out, no one was around, so on my off days, or off hours, I would do a lot of hiking and saw some incredible trails while I was there. I’m a sucker for new adventurous things.”

12. Genie Francis

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Genie Francis has appeared in General Hospital, All My Children, and The Young & The Restless. In 2015, she revealed that she turned to Nutrisystem to help her lose weight. "I couldn’t believe it," she said to ABC News. "I was getting so much delicious food. I did not feel deprived. The diet is very gentle. I find that as I'm getting older, I can't do these crazy extreme things anymore. I have to have something that's easy, livable. I'm not willing to be miserable."

13. Camila Banus

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Camila Banus is a cast member on both Days Of Our Lives and One Life To Live. She shared her typical diet in an interview with Soap Opera Digest. “I fast until about 10 or 11 a.m. because normally, I like to work out in the morning. So I will do a green juice from a company called Garden of Life. And then I get some solid food in around 11, and that’s anything that has to do with protein, like oatmeal or eggs or even some turkey. It’s important to have carbs in the morning, so I complement that with some toast and a little bit of juice. For lunch, I usually have my heaviest meal. I have an obsession with rice but white rice is really bad for you, so I’ve been transitioning into doing brown rice with a healthy amount of protein, whether that’s plant-based protein or chicken or turkey. And then for dinner, I try to have a substantial meal but not as much as lunch. Spinach is my favorite, so I do spinach and chicken or any type of protein.”

14. Karla Mosley

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In an essay for Glamour, The Bold & The Beautiful star, Karla Mosley revealed that she had struggled with an eating disorder, and shared how she managed to recover. ​​"Five or six years ago, I made a kind of deal with God. I had lost my period for ten years and I wanted it back so I could start thinking about having kids. I said, 'Okay, I believe that I am supposed to be healthy, and I believe that I am supposed to act and to dance. I believe that both of these things should coexist, but if being healthy means I can't do the work I love, then I choose health first.' And that was a big difference. Now that I've made the decision to be a healthy-looking woman on camera, and to not compromise that no matter what, when a thought comes up, I push it aside and I focus on my work. Mostly, I've become curious. When a feeling or thought comes up that in the past could have been destructive, I now look at it. I write about it or dance it out. I pause, I meditate, I throw love on it. And I watch it change."

15. Linsey Godfrey

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In the world of entertainment, the stars of the hit series "Shameless" have not only captivated audiences with their talent but also their remarkable journeys towards personal well-being and balance. In this article, we delve into the fascinating stories of eleven Shameless stars, uncovering their secrets to maintaining their bodies, minds, and lives in the spotlight. From Emmy Rossum's mindful approach to exercise to Jeremy Allen White's decision to prioritize family, these actors share their unique paths to staying healthy and happy amidst the demands of their careers. Join us as we explore the inspiring transformations and passions of these Shameless stars beyond the screen.

1. Emmy Rossum

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Emmy Rossum played Fiona Gallagher for the first nine seasons. In an interview with Shape, she revealed that she made a lot of changes to her wellness routine. “I started listening to my body about what exercise and food make me feel good and how much sleep I really need,” Rossum said. “My relationship with exercise has always been a very healthy and committed one, mostly because it has helped me reduce stress and anxiety. But I've changed my workouts. I used to do a lot of intense cardio and high-intensity interval training, but I've scaled some of that back. I felt as if I was in a pattern of doing those things because I thought I was supposed to, not because they gave me joy, and I wanted workouts that made me feel more in tune with my body. So I started doing Pilates-type exercises, specifically a program called GST [Grace Somatomorphic Technique], which is stretching based. It feels so good.”

2. Jeremy Allen White

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Jeremy Allen White played Lip Gallagher for the entire series. He revealed to GQ that after a busy few years, he’s focusing on his family and personal life. “With everything going on in my personal life, I thought, ‘OK, let’s just pump the brakes in general, and maybe you don’t work for a while,’” he says. “I made this choice to not work for the rest of the year and just be with my daughters and just slow it all down.”

3. Kate Miner

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Kate Miner played the role of Tami Tamietti for the last three seasons. Her aunt has Hunington’s Disease, and this has inspired her to give back. “We decided to host a fundraiser as a sort of coming out party to our family and friends, many of whom, like us, had no idea what HD was before it affected our family,” Miner told Therese Crutcher Marin. “We rented out a fun music venue in Echo Park called The Bootleg Theater and proceeded to raise over 200k. The event brought out big names like Academy Award winner Annette Bening and an array of television stars.”

4. Shanola Hampton

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Shanola Hampton played the role of Veronica Fisher on the show. She opened up about losing weight after having a baby to People. “I hit the gym as soon as I could after giving birth,” Fisher said. “Most importantly, I worked out until the day I gave birth. Staying in shape throughout the pregnancy made it easier to get back in shape.”

5. Cameron Monaghan

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Cameron Monaghan played Ian Gallagher on all eleven seasons. He shared his workout routine in an interview with Hero Magazine. "I used to do XMA, which is doing acrobatics, martial arts, learning about weapons, and all that fun stuff! But for the past couple of years I've just been boxing.”

6. Emma Greenwell

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Emma Greenwell played Mandy Milkovich on the first six seasons of the show. In an interview with Flaunt, Greenwell talked about the roles she’s played. “I’m really grateful for the opportunity to play these brave women. I like watching stories about people who take risks, who push themselves and have a very clear vulnerability to them.”

7. Justin Chatwin

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Justin Chatwin played Steve Wilton/Jimmy Lishman for the first five seasons. He also starred in Dragonball Evolution. Chatwin shared how he got in shape for the project to Cinema.com. “I would train every day and do a general boot camp to help make me fit enough for the role – and then I’d go to a boot camp in either kung fu or ju-jitsu afterwards. It was tough. It was a lot of work.”

8. Laura Slade Wiggins

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Laura Slade Wiggins played Karen Jackson on the show. She tells Crypticrock.com that she likes to play different roles. “I very much enjoy the diversity. I’ve developed my tastes in films as my career went go on, but when that all got started it was pretty much, ‘Please let me participate with you, I would like do the lines.’mEvery time I’ve gotten to learn more, and there are a lot of people who still like to play dress-up as an adult as actors.”

9. Amy Smart

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Amy Smart played the recurring role of Jasmine Hollander. She revealed in an interview with Us Weekly that she loves spending time outside. “I love earthing and getting my bare feet on the ground. I was also a part of a documentary called The Earthing Movie. I compost. I put all my fruits, veggies and coffee grounds in a bin in the freezer, and then add it to the compost pile when it fills up.”

10. Alex Borstein

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Alex Borstein played the recurring role of Lou Deckner. She talked about her comedy special, Corsets & Clown Suits, and why she titled it that to The Wrap. “I have spent 40 years of my life in a clown suit, OK? Twenty of those years I have spent with the same person. Only, it turns out I didn’t really know that person. My perception was way off. The joke was on me. The clown has been clowned. So I find myself a divorced human being. It’s like coming out of a 20-year coma. It’s a whole new world in front of me, a whole new landscape. And I have to figure out how to navigate in this new world. In order to do that, I have to figure out who I was, who I am, you know? And can I move around in this new world in a clown suit? If I wanna meet somebody, can I do it in a clown suit?”

11. Isidora Goreshter

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Isidora Goreshter played Svetlana Yevgenivna on the show. She talked about balancing her home life and work life to Felix Magazine. “Trying to balance being a working actor, a mom and a wife, it’s all very new to me. I’m working at keeping that balance, by keeping fresh, and by going to acting classes. I teach some as well, though I feel odd even calling myself a teacher because I’m learning so much from my fellow actors all the time.”

In a world where youth often takes the spotlight, we celebrate the remarkable resilience and grace of these 20 incredible women over the age of 65. From iconic actresses to legendary singers, these women have not only defied the conventions of aging but have also embraced their later years with vigor and wisdom. Join us on a journey through their stories, as they share their insights on health, career, and life itself. From Jane Fonda's gratitude for strength to Dolly Parton's skincare wisdom, these women continue to inspire and redefine what it means to age gracefully.

1. Jane Fonda

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Actress and workout sensation, Jane Fonda, is currently 85. She shared that she has a lot of gratitude for her body to Vogue. "I mean, every day when I get out of a car, I thank the goddesses that I have strong thighs, that I've worked out to keep strong thighs. When I'm backing a car up and I have to look over my shoulder, I'm thankful that I've kept flexible and I can turn my head and it doesn't hurt. Just basic things like that you take for granted when you're younger but can't do anymore when you're older unless you have remained strong and flexible."

2. Helen Mirren

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78 year old actress, Helen Mirren, makes sure to pay attention to her diet. “Take control of your diet and find what makes you feel good,” she told Vogue. “I’m the first one at the fish and chips, but what you’re putting inside your body does influence how you feel about yourself, so start there.”

3. Judi Dench

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In an interview with Surrey Life, 88 year-old actress Judi Dench talked about her eyesight problems and how she’s coping. “On my scripts, my font is point-size 22, so you can imagine… If we’re doing a sonnet of 14 lines, all the others will have one page and I’ll have 14! It’s ridiculous, it’s a farce, but I’m not going to give in.”

4. Meryl Streep

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74 year-old Meryl Streep, talked about her acting process in an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air, specifically, if she ever gets nervous. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. Now I think it happens more when I have to be Meryl Streep and it just seems like too big of a thing for anybody to be. So I get nervous feeling like I have to fill out the parameters of this colossus, or something, in public appearances. ... In acting, acting is ... another kind of transport for me. It's a playground.”

5. Diana Ross

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79 year old Diana Ross is one of pop culture’s most legendary singers and actresses. Her daughter, Rhonda, talked about how Ross stays fit while touring to Forbes. “In three and a half weeks we do 13 to 14 shows—all one-nighters. We have two to three shows in a row then one day off. Our meals are regular and sleep is surprisingly regular. The environment on this tour that my mother has established—that I have learned from her and take on— is a real professionalism, a real civility, good mental health.”

6. Patti Smith

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76 year-old singer and poet, Patti Smith, talked about how she got into those fields to the Harvard Business Review. “I decided in my early adolescence that I wanted to be an artist, encompassing all the arts. I started writing poetry, and it’s not that it came easily, but it just came into my whole being, so I vowed to devote myself to it. I struggle just as anyone else does when the muse disappears or I have difficulty expressing exactly what I want to say. But it’s my life’s work. And I feel fortunate that I accepted the happy burden at a young age.”

7. Cher

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Despite being 77, Cher seemingly looks the same as she did when her career began. She shared her skincare tips in an interview with Vogue. “I do facial massage to push the fluid out of my face – it’s called lymphatic drainage. And then a trick that I saw that Joan Crawford used to do on Mommy Dearest – she put ice in a bowl and then splashed it on her face. I find that too jolting, so I take a washcloth, submerge it, wring it out and then put it on my face. My old make-up artist, who did all my movies – Leonard [Engelman] – he had a fabulous clay mask. Every once in a while, when I can remember it, I use that. When you first take it off you look strange – you have to wait for your face to unwrinkle.”

8. Maggie Smith

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88 year-old Dame Maggie Smith is best known for her role on Downton Abbey. She talked about her acting process on NPR’s Fresh Air. “You want so much to get it right. And - you know, there's a thing in your head that kind of says to you, I think that was nearer it, you know? But when people are all around you and the pressure is that you're going to get this shot in, you know, the light's going to go - I have such admiration for film actors. Like, I can't tell you. They were all - well, not all of them were there, but at the BAFTAs the other night - and I was there, and I just thought, my goodness.”

9. Gloria Steinem

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89 year-old, Gloria Steinem is one of the most prolific feminist writers and activists of all time. In an interview on Fresh Air, Steinem talked about her support of abortion and why she wanted to speak publicly about hers. “Let's hear from women who have actually had this experience. So I sat there as a reporter for New York magazine, listening to women tell their stories, you know, that were tragic and ludicrous and every human emotion all wrapped into one. And suddenly I thought, wait a minute. You know, I had an abortion, and actually, 1 in 3 American women had needed an abortion at some time in her life, so why is this illegal? And why is it dangerous? And it's the kind of revelation that comes from people just telling the truth and discovering you're not alone.”

10. Dionne Warwick

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82 year-old Dionne Warwick shared her wellness secrets in an interview. “I don’t have things I call healthy habits. I go to the doctor when she calls. I eat what I want to eat. I haven’t changed my diet, and while I don’t ‘exercise,’ I suppose I get a workout on stage every night. Most of all, I keep a positive attitude and don’t allow stress into my life—it works for me.”

11. Shirley Bassey

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86 year-old Shirley Bassey talked about her diet secrets in an interview with The Mirror. She says that she believes in balance. “I don’t have diet secrets. I just watch what I eat. At weekends I go mad... ice cream, caviar with lots of cream.”

12. Joan Baez

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82 year-old singer, Joan Baez, talked about her wellness secrets with The Mercury News. “People are always asking me how I stay in good shape. And I actually do a lot of things like yoga and Pilates and meditation, but for me, the posture work is at the base of all of it. It’s at the core of everything. Basically the whole thing is lengthening the body and decompressing the spinal column. It’s a very hands-on discipline and you work with a mirror so you can see what you are doing. Whenever I go on tour, I backslide and the old habits creep back, so when I get home I go back to the source.”

13. Martha Stewart

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82 year-old Martha Stewart is one of the most prominent business women and writers. She shared her wellness secrets in an interview on The Today Show. “I went to Pilates every other day… I live a clean life anyway. Good diet and good exercise and healthy skin care and all of that stuff.”

14. Anita Baker

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65 year-old Anita Baker is an extremely successful singer. She talked about how she approached her career in an interview with Mother of Color. “Sometimes I wish I could change, but I don’t know how. I only know how to do me. All I’m ever interested in with my music is expressing what’s in my heart. I’ve never been interested in being a muse for a producer to express his creativity. I think the industry pressures artists to conform to whatever is happening at the time, and I’ve been a nonconformist my whole life.”

15. Sally Field

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76 year-old actress, Sally Field, talked about her career and approach to acting in an interview with Ability Magazine. “I find that’s one of the great things about acting—you have the opportunity to stand in somebody else’s shoes, whether it’s someone with mental health problems or someone who lives and works in a small town. Each character faces a dilemma in her life, and as an actor you’re able to step into that character’s skin, look through her eyes. You leave transformed, a different person, because once you live a little bit of someone’s life, it changes you.”

16. Morgan Fairchild

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73 year-old actress, Morgan Fairchild, is known for her roles in projects like Friends. She revealed to Closer Weekly that she is on the keto diet. "I have my fake oatmeal every morning and then salads. You know it's a very specific diet. It's not a hard diet… it's just very specific.”

17. Jessica Lange

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74 year-old actress, Jessica Lange, is best known for her roles in American Horror Story and Feud. In an interview, she opened up about her struggles with depression. “With the arrival of my family, I felt tethered to life for the first time, and the restlessness that plagued me when I was younger finally disappeared,” she explained. “I used to have real bouts of depression - I say that not having been in the depths of depression for a couple of years, thinking it’s a thing of the past, and maybe it’s not. When I was on my own, I could stay in bed for a week at a time and not talk to anybody, but with children you can’t allow yourself to wallow in those depths too long. Nonetheless, though my dark side is dormant right now, it continues to play a big role in whatever capacity I have to be creative - that’s the well I’m able to tap into where all the anguish, rage and sadness are stored.”

18. Goldie Hawn

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77 year-old Goldie Hawn is one of Hollywood’s most legendary actresses. She revealed to People that she loves juices. “I do a lot of juicing, I don’t put a lot of food in my stomach and I don’t mix my foods too much. So if I want to have like protein I’ll just eat a bowl of lentils, I won’t mix it with a bunch of stuff.”

19. Dolly Parton

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77 year-old Dolly Parton is one of the most legendary names in country music. She shared some of her skincare tips with Into The Gloss. “I clean my face in the mornings. You never know if you’re going to wreck the bus, you never know if you’re going to be somewhere in a hotel and there’s going to be a fire. So I leave my makeup on at night and clean my face in the morning.”

20. Lauren Hutton

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79 year-old Lauren Hutton is one of the most legendary models of all time. She shared some of her diet secrets in an interview with TODAY.com. “I eat carefully. I try to eat olive oil, not butter and I cook with olive oil, not butter and I eat fresh. Organic farm stuff.”